Hole digger



July 14, 1955.3V J. w. Hous'roN HOLE DIGGER med .my 3, 195o ffm/MMM? afwmff@ WML/@fwn @y 22 ff :s Shasta-snee@ 2 HOLE BIGGER J- W; HOUSTON July 14, 1953 Filed July 3; 1950 Wizfmff MM d. QM

July 14, 1 953 J. w. HoUsToN HOLE. BIGGER'.

3 sneexssneen s `uninterrupted rotation of the auger.VV

Patented .uy 14; `195g t i UNITEDTv STATES YPATN'l'fi QFFICE Y o l 2,645,45i i vHOLE BIGGER l `John W. Houston, Grinnell, Iowa` Application Joly s, 195o, serial No. 171,911A t .3 Claims. (Cl. Z55-i9) machines, and has as its principal object to provide a post hole digging machine employing an earth auger that is vertically slidably movable with respect to a driving head that is supported at a xed elevation ina Vmanner that permits It is a further object of my device to provide a hole digger that is composed of`` two major subassemblies with .a slidingpower transmission linkage between them -whichfpermits the movement of one with respect to the other `without interruption of the transmission of power from onetothe other. y 1

Still a further-.object of my invention is to pro-1 vide a hole digger that has va single lever to control the elevation of the auger which is raised by winding a flexible member on a drum and lowered by the force of gravity.V

'In addition itis an object of my invention to provide a hole digger that has-a removable auger bit with curved earth and root cutting peripheral blades. e l

Yet another object of my inventionis to -provide a hole digger that is vdurable in use and ative life.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art. C. My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, wherebythe objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth', pointed out in my claims, and'illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of my device as it appears when viewed from the rear of a prime mover onv which it is mounted. Broken lines show the drawbar and one wheel of the supporting prime mover to show the relative position of the device toa prime mover on which it ismounted. i .o

Fig; 2 is an enlarged top view of the main powe l transmission and control mechanism of my hole digger taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. 1'

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 and taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. i

Fig.` 4isaj-detai1 view of thebeveled gear power separation point where power'irom4 the power transmission connecting linkage is directed to the two different powered portions ofthe digging and control elements taken onthe line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig.` 5is an enlarged view of the driving head of my device as it appearswhen viewed from one side `of the prime mover on which the device is mounted and taken on the line 5-.-5 of Fig. 1.

inexpensive to manufacture in terms of its oper- Fig. 6 is a top view of the portion of my device shown in Fig. 5Var1d taken on line 6 6 of that gure. Y

Fig. 7 is an enlarged top view of the earth auger of my device taken on the line 'l-'I of Figi.

Y Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of my removable auger bit taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1. Broken lines illustrate hidden portions ofthe bit and a fragment of theauger to show the relation-bertween the bit and the auger.

Referring to the drawings I have used thenumeral I0 to designate one leg of the L-shaped frame the longitudinal axis of which extends parallel to that of a prime mover on which the device is mounted when in use. A round drive shaft designated II is journaled in a bearingIZ mounted on one end of the frame leg III. A second bearing designated I3 mounted on the cross member I4 of frame leg I0 serves as a support near the other end of shaft Il. The cross member I4 may be secured to the frame in any suitable mannerpreferably by welding. A clutch plate gear assembly designated I5 is mounted on the shaft I I to be rotatable thereon except when it is in frictional contact with a second clutch plate designated I6 that is keyed to shaft II so asto rotate with but be slidable thereon. A spring Il forces clutch plate I6 into contact with the clutch plate of assembly I5 by pushingon the end of the plate IS- `and the washer I8 that is held in place by adjusting nut IS and lock nut 20. This overload clutch is of standard form and is not claimed as invention. It is not deemed necessary, therefore, to explain the operation oi the unit. The end of shaft II that extends be` they comprise no part of `the claimed invention,

their operation is not described.

An idler shaft designated 24 is journalers et one end in a bearing designated 25 that is mounted on thecross member III of frame leg I0. Under shaft 24 a stub `frame member 2E extends and supports a second bearing 2T for shaft 24. A gear 28 is rigidly secured to shaft 24 and is operative-A ly associated with assembly I5 by means of a drive chain 29 so that shafts II` and 24 rotatetogether as vlong as the overload clutch plates I5 and I6 do not slip over each other. A clutch guard rail designated 30 is rigidly secured to frame stub 26 and side of frame I0.

A rst beveled' gear. designated 3| is mounted on the end of idler shaft 24 and is constantly in meshing relation with the beveled gear designated 32.V A sliding shaft designated 33 that may have any cross-sectional conguration other than round -is here shown in its preferable square shape, and is slidably mounted in a bearing designated 34 that rotatably supports the sliding shaft and 'also perr'hits sliding movementof the shaft with respect to the bearing.l vThe second beveled gear 32 is engaged and supported by the sliding shaft and the hole in the second gear should have substantially the same conguration as cross section of the sliding shaft. The purpose of this construction is to permit sliding move.-` ment of Athese two members with respect to each other without disturbing the chain ro'f power transmission through them. All the :bearings mentioned so far are secured on the frame leg 1.0, cross member I4., or frame stub 26 by means yo'f`li`ke bearing Icaps. all designated -`35 secured to the frame in any suitable manner 'a's by nut and bolt assemblies 36.

lThe sliding shaft '3'3 is the power connection between the source of power lfrom the power take-off '2-l to carriage generally designated '37. The sliding 'shaftl is secured 'to the carriage as to be rotatable but otherwise fixed in' relation to it. The carriage consists o'f 'two 'upstanding trapezoidal side pieces designated 53 and 3S :ref spe'ctivel'y that are Vsecured "together by having suitable cross pieces rigidly secured to the side in 'any suitablemanne'r Ya's 'by welding or the like. These cross pieces have been designated d and 4| respectively. AThe carriage 31 'rides 'onanged wheels Aa2 above and retainingivhe'els it?,` below track 44. The track'is secured in any suitable manner as by slotted screws i315 or the l'ikei'to 'the second leg 46 ofthe L-shaped "frame. All the Vvwheels are journaled on suitable a'Xles secured to' the carri-age. A carriage movement control lfe'ver designated 41 is 'suitably hinged to 4the 'frame stub 26 and 'extends "upwardly past 'sector Bwhich is secured at its Vrespective len dsto "frame stub "26 and Aa vside member 'of 'frame leg 'il a's 'shown in Fig. I2. .A `connecting ro'd designated tis connects the rlever to theiever 4'1 4so that 'as the lever is moved past sector 41'8 the carriage S'Tis rolled on track iii which 'permits lateral Y'adjustment 'of the "'carriage. The means forV gether make 'the 'operation' of this 'control `quite clear.

The slidingshaft 33 'transmits power to Ipo'wer a distribution point of three beveled gears. One designated is secured to sliding shaft 33` and meshes with a winch beveled gear 4designated :'51 that rotates about "an axis at rightangles vto that of beveled gear 5i). A winch power shaft desighated 152 journaled in rcarriage r3'! `is secured to winch beveled -gear 5I -an'd rotates with it. A sprocket gear designated 5:3 is secured to 'th'eiend of 'winch power 'shaft and transmits rotating movement to winchspro'cket 511 ythrough a Idrive chain 55.` Winch sprocket '54 is secured to 'a Winch idler shaft Vdesignated f5.8 that 'is .appropiate'ly "journaled lincarriage 31. 'Pinion gear Ellis secured to the 'end of shaft 5S which extends beyond side '39 of carriage `3'i. A Winch drum 5B 'is appropriately journaled on its Idrum shaft 5.9 inthe carriage 531. The winch axle has Varie'-A male clutch -plate brake .drum @u assembly -secured Yto one end near pinion .527.. rA .gear and 13"] --as by Welding or the. like.

male clutch plate assembly 6| is mounted oriv the drum shaft 59 so that they are freely rotatable with respect to each other when the male and female clutch plates are not engaged. The gear of assembly 6l is in constant meshing relation with pinion 51 so that they always rotate together. A Winch control lever' designated 62 is hingedly secured to control lever support 63 that .is in turn appropriately secured to the carriage A rtzlu'tch connecting bar designated 64 is secured to male plate gear assembly and the control lever 63 respectively so that movement of the lever E3 slides the assembly 6| on winch shaft 59. A brake band designated 65 loosely embraces the brake drum of assembly A6U by having the ends of the band yieldingly forced apart as shown in Fig. r3 by a Vspent[tarts counter part unit 6B. Y -iinoerthe ends di the gbored members adjacent `each pti-ier are mach-'ined to *form complementary bias out shoulders rstation off -one with respect to the other tends to foi-cethe-1members :aparlt so 'that `the total space on the bolt occupied b'yft'he inem bers 68 and SSS-merea'ses "Wl'rieh 'reduces trie-.space on ithe bolft lfor lthe lPslalf-i-ig and Sleat-1d rends" tlf-ius tightening 'the brake band afbot -`the Vdrinn assembly $0 to hold the tvfinch dr :a given position. Appropriate conneoting `.linkagedesignated 13 -`fis hing'edly secured at one lto fthe crank '12. The other end. or Aiiinka'gfe `f1.3 extends through fa hole :an ear M ai-so .secured on control lever 62. Lock nuts .15 and adjusting nuts :1E make it Fpossible ito :adust the :relative point -io actuation Aof the br'a'ke amd lllutch so that an .extreme movement of the lever direction will cause one of these units tofbe engaged fand `the other to'fdisengage. Linterme diate position is also possible 'where Sthe .pewsr Wili .beifdisoonnected the and the braise :disengaged simultaneously.

Y .mhecaiiriageis the support .for theraugerboom TH. =one 'endgof 'which 'is "secured .in socket i158 on cross .pieoe fdil. Two elileeiside braces ilfservefto support the weight 'of ythe boomfbyihaving their endssecirred to fcollari and `the-'sides of the carriage respectively. l .The lcollar i) :is rigidly secured `fto, boom F111 and Ehasfa ibearin-garm f8 I rextending `'dow-nwardly a'rom :it to support one errd of the `iprima-ry .auger drive shaft $82.. The 'other end of shaft 82 is supported :in a bearing *83 fon cross rpgiece iden'd the `:lowerier-id fof* ftheshaftlfcar- Disaligel.' dfrv'e @bevel gear f8.4. Gear imeslres with winch bevel gear 5I.. Thusia-ll the igears :of the power distribution .point rotate sirriultarieoijisly. ,f-Primaryfdrive fshaift't/z connected Aby universal joint 85 to one end of siipfsh'aft 86. and the other -endfof :slip fsh'aft f'iv connect-s toA arsecond universal .joint designated .8;1. The :second universal loi-nt `.-co;r-1ne' et s slip. lshaft f8.5 to; a rshort driving shaft :designated -828 -`short -is appropriately-.iumglf dim aehaftfsunnort arm :ee that fof-.arabearivng :support generally desi'b nate@ 9,0.- mQllrnted 0.1.1 ihefhead frame designated 9i meansvf Stirb shaits designated $2... gread- Flfhe bearing. Support en ningedb/ 1 members I 05'to raise auger I 00.

aars-,4er

frame is hingedly secured` to .the end of auger:

by nut and boltassemblies 94 or the like. Becauseof the ltwo hinged connections-of the bearing support to the head frame and the head frame to the boom, it will benoted that the bearing support is universally jointed with respect to the boom.' i The bearing support Vhas an upstand- Y ing "fin designated 95that is connected by rod 95 to `the augeranglecontrolf leverll'l. This, concated by the numeral v93;.` Thisbearingmernbes 93 is appropriately secured tothejhead framegas trollever is hingedly securedtoftheboom Il and movesin an arc adjacent sector. The lever maybe disengaged and from the 'sector byretaining` sector engaging rod 99 inagraised position, When the lever is so disengaged thebearing sup-j port isfreefto move with respect to thehead frame. It;is1possible, however, to engageyrod 99 in sector 98 and'so holdthe bearing support at an angle with respect to head frame 9 I.

The auger itself, generally designated I is secured to a shaft designated |0| which may be any shape other thanround in cross section. It is here shown as preferably being square which is satisfactory and relatively inexpensive. This shaft |0| is verticallyslidable through a, beveled gear rotatable'member designated |02. The'opening in the rotatable member |02 Vis such a shape ing support. The opening in the second rotat` able bearing member |03 need not match the configuration of the cross section of shaft I 0| but preferably does so'to offer greater support for the shaft. The short shaft 88 has a beveled gear designated |04 that engages with the gear teeth of rotatable member |02 which completes the power transmission linkage to drive the auger |00. The elevation of the auger is regulated by the flexible members designated |05. These cables or like units are partially wound on winch drum 58'and are reeved over the pulleys |06 to provide `a substantially straight upward pull to the auger. Flexible members |05 are secured to a collar member |0'| that permits the auger and shaft |0| to rotate freely but will lift the auger and shaft I 0| if raised by cable flexible members |05. When the winch control lever 62 Ais `moved to engage the power of the prime mover by engaging the winch clutch as shown in Fig. 3, the winch drum 58 is rotated to reel in flexible When winch control lever 62 is moved to its other extreme position auger |00 is held at whatever elevation to which it has then been raised. When the` lever 62 is placed in an intermediate posi- Vtion the winch drum is freely rotatable and gravity pulls the auger downwardly, the cables following. When the tension on the flexible cables |05 is thus released they might become 'disengaged from pulleys |06. To avoid this diffiof my invention, and it is my intention to cover i culty the curved cable guides |08 are secured to head frame 9| as by welding or the like.

The auger |00 is supplied with a removable cutting bit. The bit consists of a shaft terminating in a starting point Kdesignated as a unit Y by the numeral |09. A plate I I0 is rigidly secured to the shaftfand point assembly |09 as by welding or the like. Two like opposed cutting.. b1adesj I A are I detachablyr secured` to plate 2. ||0 `in any suitable. manner as vbythe, nut and, bolt. assemblies 2i .orpthe like `gwhichgpermits .i the blades .toibeiremoved for sharpeningior-.-the j like. lIn ian ,emergency only onejof-ythese blades; maybe used inwhichcasea-it must b e setfnearer to the center-of shaft vsothatmost extended'A portion of the cutting fbit vis within the:area de ned, by a vertical projectionpfthe periphery of the auger. A.Each cutting blade has-Qa root cut-1. ting. portion securedsto it that. curvesxin two;` The` blade unit Vcurves to =form a` segment `of-a circle having vsubstantially thesamev diameter asthe auger and the. cutting. edge; off the root cutting portion ofthe bit 'bladescurves directions."

downwardly and rearwardly against the direction of` rotation as seen in Fig. 8. This formcf a bladegives a slicing action that gradually increases thefpressure of thecutting .edge onffthe root or like withno sudden jar to the auger and its driving mechanism.

The shaft portion of the shaft and starting point assembly slidably nts into an appropriate well in the auger |00 and is secured there by a pindesignated ||3.

In. operation myV post hole digger may be mounted on the draw bar ||4 of a prime mover such as a tractor or the like.A The auger boom 11 then arcs up past the rear wheel ||5 as seen in Fig. 1. The prime mover is located near the place where the post hole is to be dug and the carriage positioned laterally by means of control vlever 4l and the auger dropped. In most instances the bearing support control lever 91 has its sector engaging rod disengaged so thatV The rcontrol lever 91 is then moved to the posi- 1 tion illustrated in Fig. 3 and the power from the prime mover rotates the winch drum to lift the auger from the completed hole.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement lof my hole digger without departing from the real spirit and purpose by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of ,mechanical equivalentswhich may be which said head frame swings, a shaft journaled in said bearing support on a substantially horizontal axis, a beveled gear secured to said shaft, a second beveled gear meshing with said beveled gear and journaled in said bearing support on a substantially vertical axis; said second beveled gear Vhaving a square bore in it, a bearing 1n said bearing support vertically spaced apart from said second beveled gear; said bearing havi'ngfsquare. bore-.through its center.: a; squares shaft verticallyY slidably 4'zrromniiedf fthe .bores vnf forL raising and@ lowering: sad'squarel'shaft'; saidl earthlaugerbeingsecured to.l andvdependingvfroni 5, the lower end: of saidV squarershaft,V anda meansa: forL connecting said: first mentionedvshaft-,to a.:

powervsourceon saidprimelmoizer.

lexzexr'l alanine said segmentzafu. various selectable:`

points.;- and arredi. hingedm sec-meriv co1 said; lever 15 am by une eend, andy toxsai bearing support at.; itsothelt emi; i

l. The. posi; hele` digging;` apparairisV inprcwev. mem-b cu?` claim. L iurthei: characterizecLby hair-y aereas-ffy ing means operatively associateci'wrth said', bdot'xi, and sai'dbearing support for selective manual 'tipping andv securing of said bearing. support.

relative to said-frame. i L f JOHN W; HOUSTON References4 Cited` in the file of this; patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Number Name 1,065,763` Angebrandt 1---- June 24, 1913 1,453,049 Liddell 1 Apr. 24, 1923 1,589,300 Neunier 1 June 15, 1926` .1,882,350 Weiss Oct'. 11, 1932 2,320,610 Kandle; 1 Jurle 1, 1943 2,401,172 Maloon etall May 28, 19.46, 2,401,250 ,K'alnle-y May' 28, 1946 

